Cuvaison Estate Wines
Chardonnay
Napa Valley
Carneros
Napa, California, USA
2007
14.2%
$17.39 -- Costco, Austin, TX
Color: Light gold
Nose: Pineapple, apricot, lemon, white pepper
Body: Medium
Front: Sparkly pineapple
Middle: Saddle leather, pear
Back: Butter, lime
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork
Tonight it's a pair of Costco California beauties: Trenza Tinto and Cuvaison Chardonnay. I'm looking for a really balanced, delicious Chardonnay for less than 20 bucks, and I'm always interested in blends from the Paso Robles/San Luis Obispo area, which I think has lots of potential. Indeed, it has lots of kinetics!
I'm also having a pork chop with applesauce tonight, so I thought I'd try two wines, a red and a white, each of which might go well with it. The Cuvaison is an elegant wine; I would suggest serving it not too chilled. This is the sort of wine I *wish* they would serve at receptions, instead of the painfully fruity or painfully oaky stuff they usually do. The balance is delightful.
Still, for my palate, it's a bit more smooth like Kenny G than smooth like Sade. I actually think that the sexiness factor has something to do with the structure, not the flavors, per se. Something to muse on...
